The Search for Quong

Who is he?
Is he a kangaroo? Does he live in a rain forest? Does he eat possums? Or children?!
What does the encyclopaedia say?
‘Quong was a creature of the olden olden days, even before grandmother. He was a short fellow, with long, thin legs and an even longer, thinner tail. His face was fat and wrinkly, and big bushy eyebrows kept out the sun and flies. He lived far away from anywhere, especially where you live.’
Well, that’s encouraging, except that the encyclopaedia said “was” and “was” and “was”. And “lived”. Not “is”. Or “lives”.
So?
Well, Lissie Pendle is an “is” kind of girl, who “lives” in the country, and who “knows” that there are quongs, and that they must live near where she lives.
And she will find them.
And, being the kind of girl she is, she will allow some boys to come along with her. As long as they do what they’re told.
What Rebecca wrote:
Rebecca, from Wangaratta wrote:
I was the first one of the kids [in our family] to read it. I read it the day after we got it. My favourite character was Quong because he is silly and funny. The best part of the book was chapter 7, “Across the River” where Snuffledropper drops us in it and goes…I would recommend the book to other kids. It’s got all funny names for animals and other creatures.